Film - Lack, Mulvey and Freud

Film - Evaluation

Notes/Script:

• Starts with a blank screen to show someones thought process.
• Interesting take on a short film, topic that I'm talking about almost doesn't need visuals. to not have them is interesting to me.
• lasts around 40 seconds
• chill music, simple beat, catchy. Easy to keep in your mind. This is an internal thought process and monologue. 
• Quiet vocals during music distorted to signify the demon on your shoulder/Id. 
• Usage of high fashion, food, substances. Things that are addicting to either have or look at. Fantasy that can become a reality. 
• Female shots (models and mannequins) have no identity, they're being fragmented - Mulvey.
• Distorted imagery to show the memory. Nothing is always crystal clear, can only remember parts of it.
• Video portrays memory as blurs when changing from onto another. 
• nice ripple in the music which I matches but cutting between two shots with a ripple effect. 
• End vocals are supportive just like an angel on your shoulder/Superego
• focusses on an obsession of voyeurism or after achieving. Being addicted to substances 
• very difficult on how I thought it might look like compared to what it actually ended up looking like. left it too late, didn't give myself enough time. After this for upcoming assignments I plan to work harder and earlier compared to this where I managed to do it in the last week... poorly. 

Laura Mulvey 'The Male Gaze' Examples/Applied

James Bond

During the scenes shown from the video above we see what Bond sees, almost a Point of View shot but this can also be combined with closeups to long shots. In this case it's a long shot, even though the audiences sees her face, Therefore, she isn't fragmented the shot reverse shot implies that Bond is looking longingly at her. The way that the way the camera is positioned that the audience is well aware of what he's looking at. In the second clip, the woman has been fragmented as we do not see her face. "As Mulvey has stated about how in films female characters are purely present to keep the heterosexual male audience satisfied and give no real substance to the plot". As she lifts her leg and shot from behind this gives off sexual a connotation through the mise-en-scene by alluring to the idea that she is an object and has no real value. Throughout the whole clip the woman either starts or ends up wearing less as they're wearing a bikini. Again letting the audience see more of her as the camera is aimed more towards her more revealing areas it shows that this is only being done to please men to contribute to the entertainment. Also with combining the idea of voyeurism, this topic is an easy target. Mulvey's perspective would argue that "in film the women is the one looked at, not the one who looks. Thus, the female audience has only two options: either to assume a masculine viewing position or to understand the ideologies of a dominant male".  

Around the middle of the clip, the women takes off her top to change into a bikini. The next shot is an over-the-shoulder shot of the girl and the camera is aimed at the men. The men are shocked and trying to be serious at their job but just can't help themselves look and let their guard down.

Mulvey's perspective would argue that this has been done on purpose, almost to show what the men or homosexual women in the audience would also be doing. This aspect is completely derivative of the theory as the mise-en-scene is edited in a way to really show that the male gaze is being used.

With in the opening credits of the film, a belly dancer is seen as she has "starring Sean Connery" projected on her. This gives alluring connotations and sexualises whatever the audience is looking at. In this case, it's a name, but it's still sexualised for the sake of men watching.
Later on, a slow zoom shot shows Bond as he begins to look through a pair of binoculars. The shot after this is a POV of Bond looking through the binoculars at the sexualised female as she emerges from the water. So that the audience can admire her for longer this shot is slightly slowed down. This almost drifts into fantasy as real life doesn't slow down just to look at a girl. This objectifies her immediately as a character. For Mulvey this abides to the theory and as Mulvey disagrees with this.

Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire

Recommended time code 2:00 - 2:30.
As Dumbledore introduces the visiting schools the second the main doors begin to open the close up/mid shot of the Hogwarts students revert their attention to them. The following shot tilts up as the camera moves down from above their heads and tracks backwards as the girls walk forwards. Lighthearted and fairly happy non-diegetic music begins to play. The following shot is angled stationary behind the girls and then quickly cuts to a mid shot from the side. This shot would look similar to an onlooking student eager to see who has entered the hall. As the girls moan they gently move their arm out towards the Hogwarts students. After doing this action twice they begin to skip forward quickly. The shot of Ron shows how surprised he is. His voice carrying over into the next shot as a close up shot on the girls bums, fragmenting them and taking away all of their identity. Cutting back to the boys, this clearly shows what Harry and Ron are looking at with Hermione looking disgusted in the background.
Thus clip quite clearly implementing the male gaze.

Lacanian - Uses and examples within film

Films that use Lacan:

The Life of David Gale (Kevin Spacey) - he teaches Lacan. 

Within the first 10 seconds of the clip the audience is shown a quick montage sequence edited where four inspirational words are shown. Power, life, lust and fantasy. combined in with these words are establishing shots of a university and students. Everyone experiences these words almost on a daily basis, younger people even more so. As it cuts from the end of this scene to the next (David Gales' class we hear him speaking to the class asking them to think and to "reach back into those minds" to be able to prepare them for what he is about to discuss. The mise-en-scene is set in a large classroom and the camer is positioned at the front of the class slightly tilted up as Mr. Gale is walking down to the front. As the camera is them shifted so that the audience can clearly see David I feel as though I am a student in one of the seats as he teaches the room. A shot reverse shot then takes place as he discusses what the students fantasise about. "Fantasies have to be unrealistic as the second that you get what you seek, you don't, you can't want it anymore".
The setting of the classroom is very simple, on the board behind him it says 'mental casualty'. Personally, I believe that to experiment lack is a subconscious mental casualty as money is hard to earn and easy to spend on things that don't really matter. Money should be spent on a car to help you travel or food so you don't starve yourself rather than a new pair of shoes when you already have ten other pairs. "It's not the 'it' that you want, it's the fantasy of 'it'". As soon as the fantasy becomes a reality then that's when you won't be interested anymore. Perfectly displaying the Lacan theory as to why it's so important as through the mid shots and the tracking from either in front or behind of Mr. Gale that "the only way that we can measure the significance of our own lives is by valuing the lives of others".

By the end of the clip, with his student saying she'll do anything to get a good grade, it nods to the audience an expectation which is then subverted and shows how things like sex, drugs and money are a lack, the feeling of wanting more and what you already have is never enough.

The Greatest Showman

The first shot is placed as though the camera is in the audience of the theatre, as the curtain rises it cuts to a low angle set behind her on the stage. With the spotlight on her, she creates a silhouette behind her. The camera tilted up signifies her dominance yet as a woman, in this setting it's unusual. As the music begins a mid shot of Mr. Barnum is shown as he stands in the wing looking nervous. As a poor boy who has made his way to the top of the show business tree, he looks very comfortable in a tuxedo. Almost appearing as this is his normal and doesn't appreciate being rich. He takes having money and power for granted as it is no longer his fantasy, it is now his reality, and now is no longer special.
The diegetic sound of the orchestra playing swells the room yet her vocals are still louder. The miseducating-en-scene isn't as on-the-nose compared to the lyrics of the song, which I find to be derivative of Lacan. Emphasising that even the world in your hands is never enough.
As the chorus reiterates over and over, having a materialistic nature towards things are never enough.
"All the stars we steal from the night-sky
Will never be enough...
These hands could hold the world but it'll
Never be enough..."

Red Dead Redemption 2

Even a Lacanian message is being implemented into games.

A game that revolves around robbery, deceit and treachery in 1899.
This is a picture from my personal gameplay as I was robbing a house. The game mechanic is that when you search a dresser you start from the bottom draw to the top. When I saw this message proving that I was acting greedy through my characters eyes, I appreciate how the game developers decided to include this as a healthy reminder that sometimes you need to step back and think about what you already have and how more than often, "you want more than you have". 

Freudian - Application to films

Batman - The Dark Knight

Joker - ID:

The joker wants to bring chaos, a weapon on society and a man that just wants to watch the world burn. Even though this character may have a plan, it's still a route that is bad for people to go anywhere near. Someone who wants to break the rules. These correlate with elements of an Id in an extreme manner but bad for the conscience.

Batman - Ego:

Torn between the two characters of The Batman and Bruce Wayne, he shares both sides and takes inspiration from the Superego and the Id. From 2:53 until the end of the clip, it is clear to see that Bruce Wayne is more prominent but he is still wearing the suit. His judgement is clouded by anger but asks Alfred for words of advice in his time of need.

Alfred - Superego:
He encourages love and wisdom to anyone who needs it but more towards Bruce. As seen in the clip above "Rachel's Death" the character is there to comfort Bruce and to offer advice on how to conquer the Id/Joker. 

The Ego (Batman/Bruce Wayne) is being pushed and pulled by the Id and the Superego. Bruce wants to be able to do the right thing but sometimes when either the Id or Superego is more present than the other the Ego tends to lean that way. In this case as the Ego chooses to save Harvey over Rachel but the Eg would never know if that's the better option. Letting Rachel die as the diegetic sound of Harvey screaming in dread over the phone, she tries to comfort him but with the non-diegetic electric cello which plays the Famous Joker theme (a D note) that's a cue for the audience that something may go wrong. Just like a canted/dutch tilt angle.
Cutting to the 3 minute mark the Superego joins the Ego and the Id is not around. This happens throughout the film as only one or the other is paired with the Ego, it's never all three parts of the mind or in this case, characters. Trying to comfort Bruce, Alfred prepares tea. In the open yet dark room the camera is positioned to be tilted up at Alfred and level with Bruce yet both mid shots. With words of wisdom but staying close to the ground, Alfred offers help and takes away Rachels note as he feels it's not time for Bruce to know. For Freud this is the mind holding back certain/suppressed information so that the Ego and think clearer for now as there may be too many issues that the mind is trying to solve all at once. "Rachel believed in what you stood for, what we stand for". This is Alfred reminding Bruce how to think in stressful situations and how the Superego wants what's best for the Ego. Sometimes to solve an issue like the Id, the Superego has to 'burn the forest down' to draw out the Id to confront it but as the Id clouds the Egos judgement we make mistakes. That is why everyone has a Superego to help us learn from those mistakes. In my opinion, this makes perfect sense to how the mind works and encapsulates the mind and Freuds way of thinking.

Fight Club 

Quickly edited shot but mainly shot reverse shot over the shoulder. However, when the camera is aimed at Tyler, only he is in frame. Whereas when the camera is on Jack, they both fill the screen over-the-shoulder. mixed with mid shots as Jack is across the room, then as Tyler tells him to sit, the camera place out wide as a side on two shot. This shot is also slightly tracked and tilted down so that they both stay in frame.
A slight montage takes place as Jack is working out what is actually going on; that him and Tyler are the same person. As the non-diegetic sound keeps the audience in suspense the miss-en-scene is edited so that we can see Jacks thinking process back to key moments but instead of Tyler it's him in his place. As Tyler helps jack understand the situation it is clear that is what happens when someone, who suffers from an identity disorder, lets it go too far. "You were looking for a way to change your life, you could not do this on your own. All the ways that you wish you could be, that's me. I look like you want to look, I fuck like you want to fuck; I am smart, capable and most importantly, I am free in which all the ways that you are not". This is direct from how Freud splits up someones sub-conscience. Yet in the real world, most people never act upon it and they stay trapped and not free in how we all want to live our lives.

Tyler Durden:
A rebellious character that doesn't obey the law. It is common for the Ego to aspire to be like the Id as they also stand as a more free entity. He is impulsive and irrational, he expresses himself by physical desires such as sex with Marla and causing damage to society 'Project Mayhem'.

The Narrator/Jack:
Once again, swayed by both the Id and the superego.

Marla:
The Superego that has a firmer grasp on reality and is there to remind the ego of what is good from bad, right from wrong. Pushes you to be a better person but compared to how the Id is portrayed in Fight Club, is also more trapped and not free.

My plan for film studies

My overall thoughts on this piece are a lot different than when I first started to think about it. Using simple equipment (Logic Pro X, Final Cut Pro and a Shotgun mic attached to the top of my DSLR) I wish to achieve a monologue as the inside of my mind is displayed on screen. Iwill most likely add some non-diegetic sound. The idea of distorting the images as memory is never 100% accurate is nice as it helps show how an addiction is in the mind and to obsess over something so much actually changes from it's original shape to another I find very interesting.

Freudian Analysis

Notes:

what it is:

The theory itself is looking at the conscience of a person. And when presented with choices throughout life, which option should they choose. In this case the Id represents the 'devil on your shoulder'. The Superego is meant to represent the 'angel on your shoulder'. Overall the Ego (you) decides which one to listen to and which option they should act upon.

The three aspects of self

• ID - void of morality or rules (wanting to kick a baby across a room) if you have empathy you wouldn't want to do bad things in society. It makes you lie, cheat or steal. The Id is more or less in every person - the devil on the shoulder - the horse. want. 
• Ego - is the conscience. To do the right thing (you want a chocolate bar but you'd have to wait till you can afford it, don't steal) - the horseman.
• Superego - to have morals - the angel on the shoulder. - horseman's father (judge) 

References:

Freud believed that "[dreams are] the royal to the unconscious" and they contained important clues into the human psyche (Weiter, 2004:195) 

Mulvey Analysis

What is her theory?

Laura Mulvey is "best known for her essay on Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema"  

This idea focusses on how media is used and edited to be more appealing to the male gender and or homosexual women. Hence, 'The Male Gaze', in films there's is normally shot or dialogue that discusses the women body/shows off.

This theory also involves the topic of Voyeurism: the practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity. This can be said that it is also the enjoyment from seeing the pain or distress of others. Overall, voyeurism is the act of looking on, which is why people enjoy the art of cinema so much. But this is also aimed at men like to look at women during film.

Effectively the theory states that, when aimed at women, the camera fragments them. This gives them no identity as a character and ultimately sexualises her. Here are a few examples.

In 'A married Women it is clear that only the body of the women has no identity as we cannot see her face. The mans hands on her dory indicate that she is being controlled and that she has no power.
In The Minion Movie, a little more of the woman is shown but the same rules apply. Even though it can be used as added mystery to a character, but also it can be used to, in this case, focus on her legs. I feel that this is a subtle way of portraying it but even in children's films it happens. For most kids to see this, a parent would have to be there to take them. This gives the adult something to look out for so that the movie is suitable for everyone. Much like an adult joke in a kids film, where the children won't get it but it's there for the parents.
Finally in the recent Wonder Woman movie. Yes, it allows for the idea that women are powerful but in this poster she doesn't even have an identity. Part of her face is shown but to most, the audience still doesn't know who it is. The focus in this mid/close up shot is the lips. Usually this aspect of a woman is sexy and allows for men to fantasise about the character. Even in the movie, yes she has power but she still obeys the laws when it comes to the love interest in the text.
I believe that these examples fit pretty well with Mulvey's theory. Mulvey states that in a narrative the rile of a female character has two functions. One is where 'she' is used as an erotic object for characters within the narrative to view. The second is so that spectators out of the narrative, such as audience members in a cinema, to view.







References:
https://www.filminquiry.com/film-theory-basics-laura-mulvey-male-gaze-theory/

Fol, I. (2004) p.25 The Dominance of the Male Gaze in Hollywood Films 

Lacan Analysis

Mirror Stage

• 50's - the first time a baby sees itself in the mirror, it thinks that they are the most beautiful and perfect human being there is. For the rest of their life, it tries to live up to at and it can never be achieved.
• Unrealistic expectations. he called this "lack".
• It causes desire.
• Similar to the ID, like fight club, he wants to be Tyler but never will be.
• Hedonistic features - taking drugs and alcohol, being more than yourself, to be a better person and trying to be something they're not.

The three lacks 

• Symbolic castration - object related is the imaginary phallus
• Imaginary frustration - object related is the real breast 
• Real privation - object related is the symbolic phallus 

The three corresponding agents are: real father, symbolic mother and the imaginary father. Castration is the most important to these factors.